Antonio Savorelli
Beyond Sitcom: New Directions in American Television Comedy
McFarland & Company, Inc., 2010
Beyond Sitcom
This book explores the mechanisms that have driven the evolution of televisual comedy from the classic sitcom, a genre deeply rooted in its theatrical origins, toward a more mature stage of television’s history. It analyzes four comic series—Scrubs, The Office, The Comeback, and Ugly Betty—revealing how each separates itself from the traditional sitcom archetype and shows increased awareness of the comic genre. Throughout the work, the author focuses on two cardinal themes: the relationship between comedy and euphoria; and the relationship between comic texts and reality.